Wawira Njiru founder of Food for Education has been named the UN in Kenya Person of the Year.
According to a statement by the UN in Kenya on Monday, October 25, Wawira was recognised for her commitment to providing meals to over 33,000 public school children in Kenya from humble backgrounds at subsidized prices.
Wawira joins the list of leading women who have been recognised by the UN including first Lady Margaret Kenyatta and legend marathoner Tegla Loroupe.
“In recognition of her leadership and personal sacrifices in ensuring thousands of meals are served daily so that children don’t go to school hungry,” read the plaque given to Wawira.
So far, Food For Education has provided over 6 million meals to children from vulnerable families.
By sourcing the food directly from farmers, the organisation also are boosts local markets.
The organisation uses Tap2Eat which is a digital mobile platform that uses cutting edge technology to enable public primary school children to access nutritious food for education.
Parents pay for the subsidized lunches using mobile money. The amount is credited to a virtual wallet linked to an NFC smart wrist band which students use to then Tap2Eat in under 5 seconds.
Wawira attended the University of South Australia where she majored in food sciences and deepened her understanding of the link between food and education.
Afterwards, she returned to Kenya and decided to work on closing the educational gap in the country by making sure kids had enough to eat.
A typical meal consists of rice, beans, vegetables, and chapati. Lentils, maize, and fresh fruit also regularly make it into the daily meal rotation.
